U.S. Government today reported the unemployment rate in August:

U.S. Government today reported the unemployment rate in August, amid signs of economic slowdown, most analysts expect an increase of one tenth to 9.6 percent.

The Labor Department, which hit 9.5 percent unemployment rate in July, will release its report at 1230 GMT.

Analysts estimate that the unemployment rate last month was between 9.5 percent and 9.7 percent, and the consensus is 9.6 percent.

According to the Government, in July the economy had a net loss of 131,000 jobs after another 221,000 in June and an increase in 432,000 jobs in May.

The analysts’ estimates for August ranged from a loss of 160,000 jobs in a net gain of 75,000 jobs, and the consensus remains in an erosion of 80,000 jobs.

After four consecutive quarters of contraction in the U.S. economy returned to growth in mid-2009, but even a year after high unemployment persists.

According to the Government, although the recovery continues to be slowed down the pace of growth, a rate of 3.7 percent between January and March to 1.6 percent between April and June.

Since the beginning of the worst recession in seven decades, USA has had a net loss of about 8.4 million jobs, and economists estimate that the economy should create at least 150,000 jobs a month to absorb the natural growth of the workforce.

The United States is far from that average employment creation, however, would not be sufficient to recover the jobs lost in the recession.